1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a method of and apparatus for making and dispensing carbonated beverage in which carbon dioxide gas is firstly utilized for propelling flat water and then exhausted into the propelled water and utilized for carbonation of the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chamberlain U.S. Pat. No. 27,775 is the earliest known device which utilizes carbon dioxide gas for both a water propellant and carbonating gas. Chamberlain has a reciprocating double piston pump and uses gas to pump flat water into an ice cooled receiver. Used propellant gas is also exhausted into the receiver. The receiver stores a supply of water for dispensing; there is little or no control of carbonation quantity, of pressures, and no automatic operation.
H. S. Elworthy U.K. Pat. No. 20,478 uses carbon dioxide storage bottle pressure and gas at 50 to 60 atmospheres to propel water into a carbonator. The propellant gas is exhausted into the carbonator. Again, there appears to be little or no control of carbonation, and the device looks to be unacceptably dangerous because of the pressures utilized.
C. A. Brown U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,310 is similar to Chamberlain, and provides automatic operation. There is no provision for carbonation control, nor for efficiency.
Tremolada U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,576 utilizes carbon dioxide from a carbonated water storage vessel to propel water into a carbonator. This device is very wasteful of gas.
The known prior art has not been able to dispense both a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage. They have no provision for precise, predetermined carbonation, nor provision for carbonation other than static exposure of exhausted gas to propelled water.